portions in the MDR

[Yvonne]

I really don't mind the small portions. I usually order salad and another appetizer, plus with the dinner bread I'm quite nearly full even before the entree arrives. Some people do order more. I remember one cruise with my brother-in-law, he ordered two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts every night. And he ate every bite, and he's not overweight at all. I don't like leaving the table feeling absolutely stuffed. Comfortably full is much better. Plus that way I'll have room for a midnight snack maybe. :)

[petesweet]

Sure that would be optimal. However, what if you don't know that you'll need seconds until during the eating of the entree?

 

There will be times, of course, when you don't know ahead, but a lot of people know from the outset that they want to try two different starters/entrees/desserts. When that is the case, it helps to say so from the start. If you decide later, it's still OK to ask for more; it is just a little more trouble for the waitstaff, but they are ALWAYS happy to oblige.

[denamo]

Two words - order more! :)

[Bette And Bill]

I, also would like to see the cruise line reduce the waste of uneaten food. I eat only a smalll amount at any given time. There is always something to eat somewhere on a ship and smaller portions give people an opportunity to try several different things. You do not have to get the sides of any given entree. Just ask for the meat or seafood without the potatoes. I have done it on most cruises with no problem whatsoever.

[lady_cruiser]

I am with the majority of posters. The portions are more than enough. If you are not satisfied you can always order a second helping. Waste not want not. With the price of food going up and people wasting food by not eating all that was given to them it is no wonder that cruise ships have to find creative ways of cutting back to save money without bringing the price of the cruise up even higher than they are already are.

[SunYan]

I always admire the plate arrangements in MDR, a piece of artwork. Just let your dining be a pleasant experience and enjoy. Forget about the portion issue! Order a second, third... as long as you need it...

[Andipanda1]

Better small servings with the option to order more than overly large portions that lead to waste.

 

Hear, hear! I think the portions are fine.

[Andipanda1]

somehow though I do not believe RC is making these changes is for our health benefit. I'm not saying they should have huge portions where the food goes to waste. But where does this stop? One piece of shrimp? One ravioli? "oh but you can ask for more." I know I am exaggerating being facetious but for those of you who think its the perfect size, what happens when they cut back further? Will you still have the same attitude? What happens if all the sudden you cannot ask for more?

 

Somehow I don't think we'll starve. ;) I prefer quality over quantity any day.

[Happy ks]

Saw a TV program called "High Profits on the High Seas." IIRC, the show was made in conjunction with NCL, showing how much money the bars had to make per day to "break even," etc. They also showed a portion of the show, where crew members were tossing away plates FULL of food, wasted by passengers. One thing to remember is that many people do not routinely eat the same foods as prepared by the dining rooms on cruise ships, and therefore, many people may not like the way certan dishes are prepared....why pile up large plates only to be thrown away? I understand both sides of the picture here, but there are people who believe that since they paid $800 for their cruise, then they need to eat $800 worth of food in a week. I'd rather the cruise lines not waste so much food, myself. I do have a hearty appetite (OK...so I'm a pig), and I don't mind asking for a second entree, and actually, the smaller portions make for an excuse to order a second entree. Hmm, should I have lobster or prime rib? Small portions, I'll have both. Again, I see nothing wrong with ordering more than one entree, but certainly do my best to eat all of it. I don't like wasting food at home, and don't like doing that on someone else's checkbook.

 

 

I read statements like this fairly often on CC. The food cost is minimal in comparison to other costs of operation for a cruise ship. For each passenger about $12 is allotted for food cost (not including prep). Labor cost is, I'm sure, high but they are preparing thousands of meals in each course, the cost would not be as much as if they were cooking meals to order.

My point is, it would take a whole lot of eating to eat "your moneys worth" if you think the value of a cruise is simply the food.

 

I think many Americans (perhaps others as well) are so used to having their meal served pretty much all at once, not in courses, so are familiar with their meal being larger. If you took all the courses of the meal and put them all together, it would appear more in line with a typical meal.

 

It's normal for us to go out to dinner, take more than half home in doggie bags and have lunch and dinner (usually adding a salad) the next day. On a cruise there is no need to take anything out of the dining room. I'm so overstuffed even not cleaning my plate and keeping my hand out of the bread basket. I'm also no skinny minnie so I can't understand how so many people can be unsatisfied with a full meal :confused:

 

The OP being embarrassed is odd to me. They didn't prepare the meals or serve them. Were they bragging about "all you can eat" in advance of the cruise?

[cruzincurt]

Over the years, the portions have gotten smaller. That works for us. Even on our last cruise our "mom" waiter yelled at us for not cleaning off the plate. There is always more food to eat somewhere else on the ship. Now on HAL, they had very reduced hours of serving in the WJ and beyond room service there was no other choice. So we will stick with RCI and the Freedom class ships. It's a sit down dining room, not Golden Corral.

 

Now if I could just downsize....